Get ready, movie lovers! The Calgary International Film Festival kicks off today, bringing an impressive lineup packed with Hollywood heavyweights like Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Ethan Hawke. The 26th annual festival runs from September 18-28 and brings back the popular CIFF Centrepiece Gala on September 23 at The GRAND, featuring the Alberta premiere of "The Pitch," a Canadian documentary about building a professional women's soccer league.

Film fans can look forward to several high-profile Canadian premieres, including Luca Guadagnino's "After the Hunt" starring Julia Roberts and "In Cold Light" featuring Academy Award-winner Troy Kotsur. Olympic soccer legends Diana Matheson and Christine Sinclair will walk the red carpet for "The Pitch," which takes viewers behind the scenes of creating Canada's professional women's soccer league.

The festival wraps up with "Sentimental Value," the Cannes Grand Prix winner directed by Academy Award-nominee Joachim Trier and starring Emmy-nominee Elle Fanning. "This is one of the strongest line-ups in the festival's history," said Brian Owens, CIFF's Artistic Director, highlighting that nearly every section features films with major stars and award-winning filmmakers.